Cheshire manager Sandy Scrimgeour says
his team must be proud that they won the Western Division despite
losing out in the MCCA
Championship title at Buckinghamshire yesterday (Thursday). Cheshire
were well beaten by 117 runs by Bucks at Slough CC as they
were all out for 283 in their pursuit of an unlikely 401. This
was the countys first defeat for three years in Championship
cricket.

Ben Spendlove top scored with 91, while
Dan Berry hit an unbeaten 50.Scrimgeours men were undone
by 5-85 from Bucks all-rounder SamCherry and 3-85 from vice
captain Paul Sawyer. Cheshire were reduced to 172-7 before Spendlove
and Berry shared 97for the eighth wicket to give their side brief
hope.

It would have been nice to have finished
our Centenary year bywinning the title, said Scrimgeour.
But we have to pride ourselveswith the fact that we were
the Western Division champions.

We were always under pressure in
this match. We were out-batted,out-bowled and out-fielded. There
was a brilliant recovery on the final day from the two lads at
the bottom of the order, but 400 wastoo far. We looked like
we could have got 300, but that just wasnt possible either.

Cheshire will be kicking themselves that
they allowed Bucks to get from 220-7 to 336 in their second innings.
They were a massive 116 runs in the context of the match. There
were plenty of positives right the way through the season. To
win our Division after losing six days of cricket was a marvellouseffort,
continued Scrimgeour, who says he will have to get thewheels
in motion for next season now as the county aim to bounceback.

He will have to cope with the retirements
of Jason Whittaker and Chris Finegan, while the Scotsman hopes
Andy Hall will continue as skipper. Rick Moore has really
come on at the top of the order, while Dan Berry has been excellent
again with bat andball, he said. There is plenty for
us to work with now.

Berry had the chance of a hat-trick after successive wickets with
the score on 186, but it wasn't to be for the talented Hyde youngster
making his first appearance in a Championship final.

There was also wickets for Jason Whittaker, Adam Syddall, Rick
Moore and Chris Finegan in Bucks' second innings, but Finegan
was unable to play on the penultimate day because of a calf injury.

A third-wicket partnership of 86 between Hopwood and Sawyer gave
Bucks a good start to the day, before Cherry and Matthew Watson
shared an important eighth wicket partnership of exactly 50 to
get the hosts out of trouble having lost three wickets for just
17 runs.

In reply Cheshire, who trailed by 64 runs after the first innings,
started in fine fashion as openers Warren Goodwin and Moore put
on 88 for the first wicket.

But Goodwin was lbw for 40 and Moore bowled for 33 as Cheshire
lost two wickets for three runs in a gripping finish to the day's
play.

Cherry on song with the ball this time with a commendable 2-7
return from eight overs.

That left Ben Spendlove and David Hurst to bat out seven overs
until the close of play and consolidate their position, before
the real challenge of chasing down just over 300 runs for victory
began on the fourth and final day.

"I thought we worked really hard all day, but Bucks had a
couple of decent partnerships and have put themselves in a good
position," reflected Cheshire skipper Andy Hall.

"But it's going to be an exciting last night, the match is
still wide open and, if we bat well, we know we can chase down
these runs."

Cheshire need roughly three runs an over, but keeping wickets
in hand will be the key if the county are successful in their
bid to win a second Championship title in the last three seasons.

"We've just got be confident and back ourselves to get the
runs," added Hall. "It's still a very good pitch and
there's already a lot of runs been scored, it's a good test for
us."

Pictured:
Cheshire opening batsman Rick Moore topped scored for Cheshire
with 62 on the second day of this year's MCCA Championship final.
Photo credit Barry Mitchell

By Neil Goulding (Cheshire Press Officer, 07813 859986)

CHESHIRE trail Buckinghamshire by 161 runs after the second day
of this year's MCCA Championship final ended prematurely because
of bad light at Slough Cricket Club today (Monday).

Having resumed on 77-0 from 17 overs, Cheshire were eventually
bowled out for 305 in 87.4 overs, 64 runs behind their hosts'
first innings score.

And in their second innings Bucks reached a respectable 97-2 at
the close of play to put themselves in a strong position with
two days of cricket still to play.

Cheshire opening batsman Warren Goodwin was the first wicket to
fall on the second day, run out for 44 with 12 runs having been
added to the overnight score.

Fellow opener Rick Moore dug deep to top-score with 62 from 142
balls, while skipper Andy Hall (54 not out) and Ben Spendlove
(41) were also in the runs.

But despite their best efforts no one else was able to make a
telling contribution with the willow as Cheshire lost their last
six wickets for 96 runs having been well-placed at lunch having
reached 198-4 from 57 overs.

Some tight bowling from Bucks had restricted Cheshire to three
runs an over, the 2007 champions scoring 121 runs in 40 overs
for the loss of four wickets.

Off-spinner Sam Cherry impressed for Bucks with a 3-90 return
from 29 overs, while right-arm medium-pacer Simon Stanway was
the pick of the bowlers with 4-74 from 32.4 overs.

Bucks also picked up two runs outs, the first and last wickets
of Cheshire's innings.

However, despite their deficit, Cheshire skipper Andy Hall knows
some quick wickets could quickly swing the match back into Cheshire's
favour as they continue to gun for their fourth Championship title
in the last nine seasons.

Cheshire have removed first innings' centurions Fahim Quershi
(30) and Bucks skipper Jason Harrison (20), although Ricky Hopwood
- who scored 35 in the first innings - remained unbeaten at the
close on 32.

Vice captain Richard Sawyer, who chipped in with 39 useful runs
in his first knock in the final, was unbeaten on six.

"There's still a long way to go, but it would have been nice
to have got a little bit closer to their [Bucks] first innings
score," reflected Hall.

"It's a good batting track, but I'm sure the spinners will
come into the game more in the last two days.

"We need to get some early wickets tomorrow and not leave
ourselves too many runs to chase."

Pictured:
Cheshire opening batsman Warren Goodwin was on form on the opening
day of this year's MCCA Championship final at Slough Cricket Club.
Photo credit David Bailey

By Neil Goulding (Cheshire Press Officer, 07813 859986)

CHESHIRE bravely battled back today (Sunday) after a tough start
to this year's MCCA Championship final against Buckinghamshire
at Slough Cricket Club.

Gunning to win their fourth Championship title in nine seasons,
Cheshire lost the toss and the hosts benefited from a flat pitch
to post a respectable 369-5 from their allotted 90 overs.

But some excellent batting from opening pair Warren Goodwin and
Rick Moore saw Cheshire finish the day in style as they ended
on 77-0 from 17 overs.

Chester Boughton Hall opener Goodwin finished unbeaten on 37,
while opening partner Rick Moore, who plays for Oulton Park in
the Cheshire County League, was not out on 25 at the close of
play.

Earlier in the day Cheshire's bowlers toiled hard to take wickets
on a placid pitch, but perseverance paid off for Oulton Park off-spinner
Nathan Dumelow as he returned figures of 2-126 from 30 overs,
while Neston seamer Chris Finegan also impressed with a 2-70 return
from 20 overs.

Bowdon's left-arm opening bowler Adam Syddall also claimed a wicket
as he finished with a 1-83 return from 18 overs.

Off-spinners Dan Berry, from Hyde, and Alderley Edge seamer Jason
Whittaker worked hard for the Cheshire cause, while part-time
off-spinner David Hurst, who plays with Finegan at Neston, also
got a chance to bowl an over, but it was always going to be difficult
to take wickets on a batsman friendly pitch.

That said Cheshire were left counting the cost of a dropped catch.
Opening batsman Fahim Quershi, playing on his home club ground,
had made 30 when Syddall unfortunately dropped him off Dumelow's
bowling.

The left-handed Qureshi, who has represented Middlesex 2nd XI,
went on to make an impressive 162 from 267 balls. His innings
included 23 fours.

Having dismissed other opener Richard Hopwood for 35, with the
score on 77, Quershi and Bucks skipper Jason Harrison then shared
in a second-wicket partnership of 154 as the hosts built themselves
a strong position by tea on the opening day.

With 15 overs left when the two teams returned, Cheshire did well
to restrict Bucks to under 400 having been well-placed for a much
bigger score.

Harrison, who played for Lincolnshire when Cheshire shared the
title with them in 2001, was out for 101, his 170-ball innings
included 10 fours and two sixes.

Bucks vice-captain Paul Sawyer also chipped in with a useful 39
in the closing overs, while 25 runs came as extras.

That left Cheshire to bat 17 overs and avoid the loss of any wickets
- and Goodwin and Moore dug deep to make sure this year's Western
Division winners start with all ten of their wickets in tact ahead
of the second day's play.

"We had to work really hard in the field, it was a hard pitch
for the bowlers, but I thought we stuck at it really well,"
reflected Cheshire skipper Andy Hall, appearing in his fourth
Championship final.

"It's a very flat pitch, if we'd have won the toss we'd have
batted, but we need well to restrict them [Bucks] to under 400,
that could have easily happened.

"And it was really important we didn't lost any wickets,
Warren and Rick batted really well to see us to the close.

"They scored quickly as well, so hopefully tomorrow we can
have another good start and get a decent total on the board."